The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

genre: historical fantasy

This is the third book in the Winternight Trilogy, so be sure to read The Bear and the Nightengale and The Girl in the Tower first!!  There will for sure be spoilers ahead.

Vasya has escaped death but there is strife everywhere she turns.  Moscow is in an upheaval, The Grand Prince knows that war is inevitable and the old magic is waning as its devil runts rampant.  Decisions must be made, sides must be taken and Vasya has no idea of how to put things back together.  What of her connection with the Winter King?  How can she solve what must be solved without her beloved horse Solovey?  With so many forces at play and so much she just doesn't know, Vasya's road is dark is treacherous.  Where can she find allies, among the living and the twilight creatures?  And can Rus' even hope to be saved from itself?

This is an exceptional conclusion to an exceptional series.  Vasya is such a startlingly complex character, so willing to risk everything for what she cares about and so capable.  There is deep and old magic here, and war makes strange bedfellows.  The plot doesn't move maybe as quick as I'd have liked but the book is still incredibly satisfying to read, as Vasya learns about her self and the magic that's just waiting to be understood.  The author does such a good job of making us feel like we're a part of the action and I especially appreciated the notes at the end which lay out how much of the historical part of this historical fantasy that's based on the actual historical record.

I do highly recommend this book as fantastic trip to a world of medieval Russia, girls who are stronger than they can imagine and devils who can't stay away from the humans they exist to torment.  Excellent trilogy.